WHAT IS TRAI?

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was

established with effect from February 20, 1997, by an Act of
Parliament, called the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
Act, 1997. It was established to regulate telecom services,
including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services which
were earlier vested in the Central Government.
TRAI Structure
• TRAI shall have, in addition to its chairman, at least two full-
time members and not more than two-part members, all
appointed by the Central Government.
• The members should have special knowledge of, or
professional experience in telecom, industry, finance,
accountancy, law, management and consumer affairs.
• Only those senior or retired Government officers can be
appointed as members who have served for at least three
years as secretary/additional secretary to the Union or State
Governments.
 Functions of TRAI
• Making recommendations on various issues
• Administering the Universal Service Obligation (USO)
• Settling disputes between telecommunications service
providers.
• Hearing and disposing of complaints from consumers.
• Providing advice to the government on telecommunications
policy.
Powers of TRAI
• It can call upon any service provider to furnish in writing the
information or explanation relating to its affairs as the
Authority may require.
• It is empowered to direct any of its officers or employees to
inspect the books of accounts or other documents of any
service provider.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India shall have the
power to issue such directions to service providers as it may
consider necessary for proper functioning by service
providers.
Orders issued by TRAI
• In 2016, TRAI ordered telecom operators to provide free incoming
calls to all users, regardless of their network. This order was
designed to reduce the cost of mobile communication for
consumers.
• In 2017, TRAI ordered telecom operators to provide a minimum
speed of 100 kbps for all 2G users and 300 kbps for all 3G users.
This order was designed to improve the quality of mobile internet
services for consumers.
• In 2018, TRAI ordered telecom operators to provide a free SMS
pack of 100 messages per month to all users. This order was
designed to make SMS more affordable for consumers.
• In 2019, TRAI ordered telecom operators to provide a free data
pack of 1 GB per month to all users who recharge their plans with a
minimum of Rs. 35. This order was designed to make data more
affordable for consumers.
TRAI Mobile Apps
• On 6 June 2017, TRAI launched three new apps and a web
portal to highlight the telecom services that are being offered
to the users.
• Mycall app, MySpeed app and Do not disturb (DND 2.0) apps
can be used to ensure that there is transparency between
what consumers are paying for and what telecom operators
are promising to provide at a certain rate.
• In December 2018, TRAI released another app called TRAI
Channel Selector. Using this app, they can add, remove and
manage their channels.
Controversies Related to TRAI
• Allegedly, TRAI bent its rules multiple times to let Jio, a
subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, become a market
leader in the span of a few years. Jio was allowed to "test" its
services for a much longer period and with a much larger
subscriber base than was the industrial norm.
THANK YOU